


Why We Are Together

by thewriterpoe



Category: SHINee
Genre: M/M, alternative universe, mention of Jonghyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 20:49:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20297734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewriterpoe/pseuds/thewriterpoe
Summary: Usually Jinki doesn't feel their age difference when it's just the two of them.





	Why We Are Together

Usually, Jinki didn’t feel their age difference when it was just the two of them. But in the glare of strobe lights and a ten-dollar cherry vodka sour that tasted suspiciously like syrup water, it felt like a chasm. And it wasn’t like four years was that big of a difference but between his young wild days and Taemin’s late blooming was ten years of hangovers and bathroom hookups. And nothing’s changed, he noted grimly – the same hideous wallpaper in the toilets, the same dubious dancefloor but with a few touchups here and there, the same cocktail specials – it was practically time travel. But it was Taemin’s birthday and he even got them and his friends into the VIP because the DJ was a young wildling he’d known in the early days.

The music, though, was different. Terrible. He could hardly make out lyrics or melody over the thumping bass. He wondered if it had been like this in his time or had he been too stupefied with drink to even notice.

‘In his time’, he mused. God, he sounded old. He needed a drink especially with the way some random girl was rubbing up on Taemin. Better yet, he needed to supervise the bartender pour his drink. But at least Taemin was enjoying himself, was even happy although Jinki wouldn’t dare let himself truly believe that. That was a side of his boyfriend closed to him. Jonghyun probably had seen Taemin truly happy; he got all parts of Taemin while Jinki got bratty Taemin, horny Taemin, hungry Taemin, angry Taemin. He wasn’t even sure he got sad Taemin, at least not raw and vulnerable like with Jonghyun. And it was things like this that made him question why they were together. When Jinki met Taemin, he was Jonghyun’s friend although Jinki wasn’t entirely sure that friendship was the entirety of their relationship - Jonghyun looked at Taemin the way a tragic hero looked at the one thing he could not have. So, for the longest time, Jinki indulged Taemin as a cute someone he had to look out for; buying him banana milk and baby cheese and letting him fill his Netflix queue with campy horror films because Jonghyun had a hard-enough time trying to sleep without being frightened half to death.

It took the bartender five minutes to notice him and only because of the familiar figure that came up behind him.

“You look like you’re having a wonderful time,” the sarcastic drawl of Kim Kibum reached his ear. He raised two fingers at the bartender and two Old Fashioned were presented to him - benefits of being the hottest DJ in town. “Cheers.” He handed one to Jinki and downed it before Jinki had a chance to clink glasses.

“So, that’s the boyfriend,” Kibum said leaning against the bar top as he turned to face the dancefloor. Given the limited space, half his body was leaning against Jinki, pressed close at the arm and leg. “Cute.”

Jinki rolled his eyes, choosing to order the next round while he could still get the bartender’s attention than answer. The tone and look in Kibum’s eyes were pure mischief and he was not in the mood.

“I have to say, I was completely shocked when you called about tonight. I never thought I’d see the day when the ‘old man’ would set foot in this place again.”

“Hyung?”

Jinki startled more at the voice behind him than the arms winding across his waist. Taemin almost never called him that but his hands were familiar, almost like skin. He turned in those arms, frowning at the smirk on Kibum’s face. He had seen Taemin coming and said nothing.

“Hey, did you want me to get you guys drinks?”

“No, I wanted to request for our song,” Taemin replied looking right at Kibum. It was a look Jinki had never seen on him before and he wouldn’t have understood it if it wasn’t for the look on Kibum’s face; images of the dougie playing behind those kohl rimmed eyes.

“I don’t think so,” Jinki politely but firmly declined.

“C’mon old man, show the younglings how it’s done,” Kibum teased, watching Taemin watch his hand slid down Jinki’s arm.

Taemin bristled at the endearment because for some reason he was even more sensitive than Jinki about their age difference but it was Jinki coming out of his hold that completely turned the mood sour and ten minutes later they were outside screaming at each other.

“He was literally throwing himself at you,” Taemin shouted, his hands wild in frustration at Jinki’s obliviousness.

“This from the man who was practically fucking some girl on the dancefloor,” Jinki hissed back, conscious of the people waiting in line overhearing them.

“That doesn’t mean anything and you know it. And it’s not as though you don’t always throw some girl at me every time I wanna fucking dance with you!” Taemin continued in his agitated pitch. “I know you hate the whole clubbing scene but it’s my birthday and it wouldn’t have killed you to fucking dance with me one time!”

Jinki felt bad because Taemin was right. It was just one fucking dance on his boyfriend’s birthday. Always one fucking dance or one fucking hour to show off his boyfriend to his friends just so they know that he is real and not some random Taemin paid to pretend to be his boyfriend that one time. It wasn’t Taemin’s fault that he wanted to do all the things normal twenty-three years old did. It wasn’t Taemin’s fault that ten years of the same night over and over again had left Jinki immune to the novelty and excitement of Electric Avenue. He shouldn’t have come. He should have just taken Taemin out for dinner earlier that night and then let him wild out with his friends.

He wanted to apologize for not trying hard enough but the taxi he’d hailed just pulled up to the curb. “Taemin, go back and have fun with your friends. I’ll see you when you get home,” Jinki sighed.

Taemin resented Jinki’s adult voice, how it shifted every conversation from a discussion to a final statement; how it insidiously questioned why they were together. “I’m coming home with you,” he pouted “In case you forgot, ‘old man’, I’m fucking you tonight. A lot.”

“Taemin!”

Taemin sneered at their eavesdroppers, as though he would care about the opinion of people he’d never see again.

As soon as they got home, Taemin was all over Jinki. He didn’t want to give him time to apologize because it always somehow felt like Jinki was apologizing for something that hadn’t yet happened. Really, he was all over the place: making Jinki give him a blowjob but not letting him finish, trying one position but giving up just when it gets good and just when Jinki thought Taemin had calmed down he heard him say into the pillow, back to him, “I know I’m good enough for you yet but I’ll get that job and you’ll never have to hear people say that I’m only with you because of your money.”


End file.
